Mattg4321

If that’s a 400mm wide 600mm deep cupboard that would be a no from me. Poor access to work on it. 500-600mm wide, 300mm deep wall cabinet and I’d probably be ok with it, if fitted to the wall, not the cabinet, and at the bottom of the wall cabinet so access is better. Also not right in the corner of a room so you need to get on top of the work surface to get at it. As above though, it makes sense to relocate it somewhere more sensible at this stage.

Renewables are no good by themselves as often in the winter it can be cold, cloudy, dark and still for weeks on end. So it’s gas, coal or nuclear. Batteries is pie in the sky for decades yet. Hydro doesn’t seem to be viable on a large scale, I’ll admit I’m not sure why. You just posted a map showing France as an outlier in Western Europe with lower carbon emissions, almost certainly down to the amount of nuclear power they have.

It will make no difference whether we lead or not if it doesn’t make economic sense to go green. We really don’t have that much, if any, influence over China, India and the US. We should be doing everything we can that makes sense and passes a cost benefit analysis. A lot of which we are not currently doing, instead virtue signalling or making policy that is profitable for big business. We need to go big on nuclear and renewables so we can shut down fossil fuels without causing the less well off to freeze to death. Along with insulating older buildings and drastically improving standards of new builds.

Depopulation is a problem though as China will shortly find out (although I’m sure they already know what’s coming). It’s probably why we in the west have been ramping up the amount of immigrants coming in. In any case even if it weren’t a problem, what do you do about it, without resorting to authoritarianism - which most people will likely reject. The reality is we can only do our best, and what we in the U.K. do will have no bearing on what the likes of China, India and the US do. If nothing changes there, we’re wasting our time anyway. We should start looking at ways to live with the climate change that might be coming, as well as reducing our carbon output/waste/pollution imo.

Too many people or not enough houses is what it boils down to.

How long would that take to ‘pay back’ in carbon emissions terms though? Huge amounts of carbon are released when manufacturing materials and constructing a new build.

You could fit CCT led strip so you have the option to change it. Costs a bit more though.

The problem is the astronomical cost of net zero. It might be possible by 2050 if we heavily commit to nuclear (along with renewables) now, but that’s never going to happen, so imo net zero is pie in the sky for the next 50 years at least. Some way needs to be found to get hold of the money/assets stockpiled by big business and the super rich. That seems unlikely though all the time they control the agenda. All the main parties in the developed world at least are in thrall to them. One thing that cretin Russell Brand had mostly right anyway. At the risk of going off topic it does make you wonder why this is the moment his questionable past is dredged up.

There’s plenty of rentals around where double glazing is not allowed due to being in a conservation area etc

The same China that has approved more than 50GW of coal power in 2023 alone. They have over 1100GW of capacity in total. Much of it used to manufacture our EV’s and solar panels etc. The U.K. has less than 2.5GW of coal powered capacity.

You’d like to think it goes without saying that anyone messing around with electrics will make sure it’s off first. Although I guess it could be a form of Darwinism in action. I’ve removed loads of these in seconds with pliers, but might try a potato next time - if I’ve got one in the van! Should it be a baby new potato, or perhaps a Maris piper?? I wonder what the difference in conductivity is between them! On second thoughts, perhaps not, as at least my pliers are 1000v insulated 😉😆

Yeah the glass has fallen off or been smashed off. Just needs a new bulb and possibly a pair of pliers to remove the old one.

Why would you only connect the swa at one end if exporting TN earth? Both ends is a better job imo and keeps your Zs down.

Loads of that still in service in good condition! It’s rubber insulated cable you want to be careful of, especially if it’s the lead sheathed stuff! Only ever seen that still in service once in my 20+ years.

Anybody terminating SWA like that shouldn’t be touching it! If you haven’t got all the strands, then how do you know that all of them are satisfactorily connected so that if something were to pierce the cable and short out the armour to a line conductor you could be sure the circuit would be disconnected? To connect all the strands after using a stuffing gland would be harder work than just using the correct gland in the first place! There’s absolutely nothing wrong with using the armour as the cpc, if done properly, and especially if the cable is mechanically protected in a duct in my opinion. Plumbers should stick to pushing pipes together! I’ve seen far too many dodgy boiler wiring centres in my time. 😜

Just to add to this, if you buy 2 core armoured cable, then it will be brown and blue cores, with the steel wire armouring used as the cpc/earth. Most people now prefer to have a separate core for the cpc/earth these days though, even if not actually required. Usually to mitigate the risk of some idiot builder damaging the sheathing, thus exposing the swa and starting the process of it rusting away. I usually try and buy single phase colours (brown, blue and g/y), for when using it in single phase applications, but it usually needs to be ordered in as no wholesalers seem to stock it. It’s now specifically against the regulations to use a green/yellow core for anything other than a cpc/earth, single 18th A2. This one is going to catch out a lot of plumbers!!!

Poor quality lamps (bulbs) most likely. Or fitting not designed with enough ventilation

I always use metal capping on all my jobs. No reason you can’t just clip, especially if dot and dabbed walls, but I think capping is a better job. Gives the cables some protection from idiots leaning stuff against the walls, plasterers trowels etc. You can also often rewire through it, even though it’s not really designed for that. It is a pig of a job though. My apprentice still hasn’t totally mastered it after 3 years.

Dry lining boxes look ok if the wall is to be skimmed and they are fitted beforehand so they finish flush to the surface. only downside to this is that sometimes when second fixing you can break off pieces of the multi finish, which then needs repairing. If it’s a taped finish or after the wall has been skimmed then that to me is an unsatisfactory finish as the box sits proud. If I have to use dry lining boxes then Appleby are probably the best, unless it’s double boarded, in which case they don’t work. Knockout boxes on noggings is the correct way of doing it in my opinion. You can detail PIR board around them better if necessary too imo.

You won’t wire it as an intermediate/normal 2 way set up as the way time lag switches work is completely different. They turn themselves off, rather than it needing to be possibly turned off from 3 positions. You’ll just need to provide a permanent line and neutral to each switch. Then common together all the switched line outputs to the lights.

Any of the time lag switches will work as you have a 3 core and earth between the switches. It’s an incredibly simple job for a competent electrician.

No sleeving. Are you sure this guy is an electrician??!!

Come across a few of these over the years. Commonly known in the trade as a widow maker.

4 core will be suitable for 3 phase, either by using the SWA as earth - if calculated to be suitable, or by making the garage TT - again if suitable. If you want belt and braces, chuck a 16mm2 earth through the duct with it. This was always the accepted way of doing it. Seeing 5 core installed is rare. The incoming DNO supply will very likely be aluminium concentric, so external appearance won’t be much clue. Not that you really need to know! Only what size your DNO fuse(s) are.

You can’t use the 90 degree temp unless all accessories connected are also rated to that, which invariably they won’t be. It’s highly likely that 35mm2 will be overkill. It’s also likely you’ll want to run data out there I would think. Especially if you’re fitting EV charging. I’d be allowing for a TPN EV charger just to future proof it as much as possible. At a guess, 4C 16mm2 and at least one separate cat 6. It really would be best to discuss with the person who is doing the job though.